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 Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2023 1:18 pm
Aelius listened to it all. Didn’t say a word or make a comment to anything Waru said as he spoke. Instead, Aelius sat there riding the plethora of emotions that came from Waru’s uninhibited speaking. It was a rollercoaster with all of the dips, and turns. Wooden for it’s rickety nature and roughness of ride.
Trey and Waru has been an item at one point. That was…surprising. Perhaps it came with the territory of not wanting to think about his brother in any way beyond being his brother. And that likely stemmed from the fact he had been young when he was corrupted and lost contact. Maybe it was the fact that the person that he’d be involved with was something that Aelius had found himself growing attached to. The same person who had managed to get him and Faustite back together.
Like he had thrown his brother and Faustite together.
Maybe that was why he visibly flinched at the words. Aelius wasn’t even sure as things began to get muddled. The bunny hops of the coaster kept him from being able to stay seated. To gain a small piece of control.
So Trey and Faustite had been a thing? It was hard to tell with all of Waru’s speaking. There was no set answer, just a continuous spewing of words that Aelius found himself listening to raptly. As much as it bothered him to hear this, Waru was like an open door into the time that Aelius hadn’t been around. The fact they had all assumed him dead was an even more painful thing to hear for he still suffered with regret and self loathing at his fleeing overseas.
And then the words came to a halt for a moment. The conversation made a very distinct directional change. Something happened. Whatever it was, Aelius grasped it like one would hold a coaster lap bar. It was something to help ease the emotions. Change his mindset from him to Waru as the man attempted to explain where all of this was coming from. Explain himself and how he worked and viewed things. And…Aelius couldn’t hold onto the scrap of anger that had managed to work its way into him. Like the fragile bubble it was, it popped and dissipated.
“You’re so pure hearted.” Waru honestly just wanted those around him to be happy and healthy. To enjoy being together no matter what that meant for his involvement or not. While Aelius could understand it to a point, he could not imagine the depths that that need went for Waru. He could never be so selfless.
After all, just the mere thought of Faustite with someone else…his brother…
“Not me.” He remarked quietly eyes dipping to the drink that was once again cupped between his hands. A moment passed before Aelius raised the glass up and sucked down the contents grimacing for the burn and heat that trailed from his throat to his stomach.
“I can’t say I completely understand where you’re coming from. Selfless that you are.” He half laughed had scoffed at himself? Waru? He wasn’t sure. A sound of derision none-the-less. “I can’t fathom wallowing in other people’s happiness while not being actively involved in what they are. It doesn’t make sense. Never did. If what they have is also what I want…” He shrugged as he played with the glass on the table, pushing it back and forth between fingers. “I suppose you’re the better man than me.”
Shelly appeared then and Aelius took full advantage of her arrival to sit back and collect his thoughts.
“Alright I have your dip and bread!” She said with a smile oblivious to the conversation that had been happening. “Can I ge you guys anything else?”
Aelius was quick to the punch. “Another drink for me please and perhaps a bottle of wine. Some sort of sweet red.” He didn’t care what the brand was as long as it was palatable and went down easily.
Maybe he was turning into an alcoholic with how he used the stuff as a crutch to deal with himself. Would he consider himself an alcoholic if he didn’t make it a habit of the everyday? Is that what it took? Was there more for it? He supposed it depended on how people viewed it. He found it borderline.
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Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2023 2:46 am
Waru flushed amber undertones for the compliments, lit up for hearing them from Aelius the same way he always had for Emmy, for anyone else when they dolled them out. It was impossible to not enjoy the feeling of getting them when they were genuine, when they were given honestly. It was a pain to be interrupted though! To follow Aelius trail of responses like a dog chasing a thrown ball — only to watch it go over the wall and into Shelly’s yard. He nearly pouted for it, having to wait and find new words while absentmindedly playing with the condensation that’d gathered on the lacquered table. “I’ll take another of these,” clinking the ice that had slowly begun to melt and muddy the remaining blue of the curaçao coloring, “and two glasses for the wine, yeah?”
“Otherwise—” he let her off with an unfocused grin, with a look that didn’t linger for all the ways she was being the most tip deserving, hospitable waitress on the planet! Let his body language signal ‘I’m good with this thanks!’ Because the bread and the dip looked delicious— because he wanted to hear Aelius talk *more*, all the damn time, about anything and everything but especially about himself!
Especially about his feelings— it was fresh mana from a well-spring and Waru was, always, unquenchably thirsty. Gluttonously so. So he picked up the bread and made to spoon dip onto it as he watched Shelly leave with a little nod and words of affirmation — and then set the damn thing down on those small, neatly decorated stoneware plates; let more words spill out of his mouth instead of putting food in it like he should have.
“S’okay if you don’t understand. S’no shame in it. I mean, not everyone has to love everyone else’s lovers, yanno? Or love that they have other lovers or — Ah — That is—'' catching himself, because what could he do? Compare people to flavors of ice cream, express how a person could get the neapolitan carton and only eat their favorite flavor and share the other two flavors with a friend, a bunch of friends? Or maybe coerce Aelius into getting it up for an idea that ultimately benefited him too! That benefited everyone; no matter how jealousy inclined so many of Eions boys' temperaments tended to be— (man had a type!) and that they could all share the same prized possession without needing to touch anything or anyone they didn’t desire….
“Not the point of — um — the ‘not harem’ (cause it wasn’t!) that we’re not talking about. Cause I don’t wanna push anything on you that you’re not into…” Waru hemmed sheepishly, something about Aelius words nagging at him, tugging on the bits of his mind that sparked fresh curiosity the same way they did warning. Some odd bit of instinct that had him tilting his head and inspecting the man sat across him; the way Aelius sat draped in warm lighting and shadows that softened those frowns and made him even easier to look at. There was still a sourness there — the notes of it, rotten fruit that hadn’t yet fermented enough to taste anything like wine.
“Cause I don’t think for a second that m’being selfless in any of this. However it may seem, though I appreciate that you do! S’really sweet of you,” because he found Aelius sweet in the same ways he found Trey sweet, or Ren. Because there was something about people who deserved the world — who had those hungry enough to be half starved and willing to fight for it eyes — all the cold rage and hot jealousy and nonchalant looks that seemed empty but were really, truly, full to the brim of every feeling imaginable behind the scenes.
He didn’t know how to explain the ways sideline watching alluv that unfold fed his own selfish desires, filed his cup-fulla his own strange needs. He lacked the vocabulary for it.
“Like, the sweetest! But I don’t think m’selfless anymore than I think m’better n you either— don’t like you saying it like that, but? Alluv this is way harder to explain with words. Me n the thing I have for people, it probably doesn’t make sense in any language I can think of — especially since we c’n all agree words are not something m’suited for — actions though?” And he would try the bread, finally, and the dip (creamy and delicious and okay it was best eating it hot like this!) and humm for the way it tasted best to him on a hunk of focaccia bread….He could chew through that and finish a thought.
“Maybe someday you n me’ll get to a point where I can *show* you-— once all this is over n outta the way with our Firebrand. Cause the parts of me that love seeing people happy? ******** hate it when people get down on themselves about what they *think* they deserve. Their imagined standings in the world— like, as if there’s a first place n a last place anywhere in this. Especially if it’s in being compared to me? I just can’t let that fly—” Waru said it like he meant it, and not like he was half distracted trying a piece of seasoned rye in that same dip. The rye just wasn’t as good as the focaccia—- “That is t’say, I’ll only let it slide for so long before I actually *do* something about it.” The statement offered with an oafish smile, layered with heat, because Waru meant that too. That he thought Aelius happiness just as important as anyone else’s, equally deserved as anyone else’s, however the man needed to express it? Waru wouldn’t take him belittling himself over that need to have what he wanted for long— “So — this dip, right? S’good s**t—“
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Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2023 1:36 pm
Waru was persistent in chasing the conversation even after Shelly had been so perfectly timed in interrupting them. Aelius had somewhat hoped to flee from the topic at hand but he should have known better. Known Waru better, than to let things go with compliments toward him while simultaneously damning the complimentor. Ever the team mother, Waru honestly was the most sincere and caring of them all. It both soothed and rankled Aelius in a way that he didn't quite understand himself.
He worried at his bottom lip with teeth as Waru skirted around the topic of multiple lovers. A topic that, honestly, Aelius was not at all wanting to broach. Wasn't ready for it. The anticipation of scathing words and unleashing dark thoughts was not on the docket for the evening. They both, Waru probably even more so, had enough to worry about.
Thankfully, Waru didn't seem to be expecting any response from the danseur. Instead, happy to relay his own thoughts on the topic at hand and his displeasure to specific wording. As much as the man continued to state he wasn't one for words, he was certainly good at reading between the lines when he wanted to be. An annoying habit that was oddly endearing for how observant he was, but made Aelius a bit anxious at his friends capabilities. He didn't like people digging too deep.
reaching forward to nab a piece of bread for himself, a heat creeped across his cheeks at Waru's bold statement. He fumbled with a piece of bread, didn't even know what kind it was, as he dropped it into the dip, forced to fish it out dripping with cheese. Unceremoniously he shoved it into his mouth, a spot splashing the table in pursuit of his mouth.
"Yes well..." He grabbed a napkin to clean up his mess.
He ppractically sagged in relief as Waru blessedly changed the topic at hand to something much more safe. It was a proverbial peace offering and Aelius latched onto it like a drowning man with a life preserver. "It's delicious. We'll have to let Faustite know about this place at some point."
He offered a timid smile before Shelly arrived with more alcohol.
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